Fletcher Donalbain, High King of The Glacialis
Biography, Part 1: Early Life Writing a brief biography of the life of Fletcher Donalbain is like trying to squeeze the entire history of the universe into one textbook. In just thirty years, so much has happened in this man's life, yet most of it is information we know precious little about. I have spent about eighteen months travelling the northern wastes that were his childhood home, and have gathered information, both factual and apocryphal, from numerous different sources claiming a connection to the man. I have conducted interviews, read writings by other historians and entries from Fletcher's diary, and analysed data found in caves, ruined villages and burial grounds, and have determined these few facts about this man's life through all this convoluted research. Fletcher was born to the house of Donalbain roughly thirty years ago, during the pagan celebrations for the winter solstice. In the community, it was tradition to dance in a frenzied manner around stone circles at this time of year to honour the nature god, Cernuunos, as they did in the ancient times. It is still practised in some rural communities such as his, and though it was originally intended to call on help from Cernuunos for driving away monsters (this was before humans made use of dust), yet is maintained for the sake of tradition. On this particular occasion, the celebrations were interrupted by the birth of a baby boy to the village chieftain. Legend has it that when he was born, the moon and the sun were visible in the sky at the same time, and a sinister angel with a satanic demeanour was reportedly seen on a nearby hill. The authenticity of these claims remains debatable, but the fact still stands that there was a lot of mystery surrounding his birth. Fletcher grew up in a troubled time; the opposing clan of Falstaff declared war on the Donalbains when Fletcher was just five years of age, and his father was rarely home to see him. Despite this, Fletcher himself lived a peaceful childhood. He was a timid child, described by some as cowardly, always dreading the prospects of war. The war itself, known by most historians as The North War or The Primrose War, eventually reached a peaceful resolution eleven years later, when, if the tales are to be believed, the gods threatened to pull the sky down if the clans would not cease fighting. Thus, the Donalbains and the Falstaffs begrudgingly laid down their arms, and opened what was claimed would be a new era of peace. But it was not to be. Just three years after the war's end, skirmishes began to break out between patrols from either clan, and harsh conflict seemed imminent. Fletcher's father, Marcus, was seeking to avoid another war, as the previous one had left a large chunk of his fighting force dead. Seeking to make peace, he arranged to have Fletcher marry the Falstaff chieftain's daughter, Desdemona. However, Fletcher was uninterested in marriage, preferring to spend long days in the forest writing songs and epic poems instead, some of which can be found in the book Sutcliffe's Guide To Modern Poets. Diary entries reveal that he planned to avoid the wedding, and stay with his grandfather in his cabin in a village on the other side of the mountains. His father learned of his scheme, though, and Fletcher was forcibly dragged to the ceremony. Reports say very little about the wedding, other than what happened at the very end. It would appear that, in a fit of rage, Fletcher picked up a ceremonial sword and murdered the entire wedding congregation, including Desdemona, a majority of both the Falstaff and Donalbain clans, and, rather more poignantly, his own father and mother. Nobody was armed. It was a bloodbath. Realising what he had done, Fletcher fled for the Glacialis Mountains in a state of deep regret, for he knew he could not seek asylum elsewhere. He spent a year fighting beowolves, bears and other terrifying creatures. He gradually became stronger and stronger, and it wasn't long before legends began to sweep around the area of someone, or something, living in the mountains, who could destroy any kind of beast. It took virtually no time at all for people to realise that it was none other than Fletcher Donalbain, the murderer, the man who ruthlessly killed his wife and his own family, who was the stranger in the mountains. People started to invent horrific stories about the man in order to demonise him further. Artists would create friezes that depicted him as a kind of daemon, fundamentalist preachers would devote sermons to exorcising his evil from the land, and many people began to blame normal occurences on him. A pig went missing from a nearby field? "Fletcher Donalbain did that!" An elderly clergyman peacefully passed away in his sleep? "He was cursed by the hand of Fletcher Donalbain!" A wall fell down in a nearby farm? "Why, it was Fletcher Donalbain that knocked it down!" People loathed the name of Fletcher Donalbain, and soon, they decided to be rid of him once and for all. Over a hundred peasants picked up arms and began to converge on the mountain that was his permanent residence... Biography, Part 2: Ascension To Power It was around this time - or so it is said - that Fletcher began to realise the true extent of his physical aptitude. From entries to the diary that he had brought with him, later abandoned in the cave where he allegedly lived, it is observable that he had grown in strength, speed and endurance, with the diary full of statistics concerning his wellbeing. He constantly tested himself, reaching greater and greater heights of ability. It was almost as if he sensed the peasant uprising, and resolved to prepare for it. According to that diary, Fletcher made a discovery one night. As he slept, he claimed he was visited in his sleep by Dagodeiwos, the giant god of seasons and warfare. Dagodeiwos allegedly taught Fletcher his most powerful, well-kept secret of all. As it would seem, Fletcher had a special ability - he could fly into an uncontrollable blood-lust, which would begin whenever he was threatened or greviously harmed. While in this state, Fletcher could access the elemental powers of fire, ice and wind, and use them to suit his own needs, whatever they may be. Dagodeiwos told Fletcher that he had had this power since the day of his birth, and it was what had led him to massacre the wedding congregation. The god told Fletcher to be grateful of this power, as he claimed it would make Fletcher a man of great power. Yet Fletcher did not see eye-to-eye with the god. He had crafted tales of great heroes years ago in his poetry, but he did not wish for himself to be honoured in that way. Dagodeiwos was baffled by Fletcher's reaction, then furious. He believed that Fletcher was insulting him by denying this gift, and cursed Fletcher to die if he left the blood-lust state for an extended period of time. He would live out the remainder of his days in sorrow. It was but a matter of days after Fletcher had the dream before the aforementioned peasant army began the climb to the mountain summit, but by the time they had, Fletcher was ready for them. Based on an interview I had with one of the survivors, it would seem that the battle played out in this manner... When the army reached the mountain-top, they found that Fletcher was indeed waiting for them. Initially wishing to avoid confrontation, Fletcher stepped out in front of the armed yeomen, attempting a peaceful negotiation. Nevertheless, one of the peasants charged forward and impaled Fletcher with a pitchfork. A minute or so passed while Fletcher simply stood stock-still with the pitchfork protruding from him. The army turned around and began to walk away, back down the mountain-side, relieved that they were unharmed but surprised at the lack of a fight put up by the strange man they had become so concerned about. Then they heard the noise. My interviewee turned a pale hue as he recalled the following events. The noise heard was the unpleasant sound of metal scraping on metal, and they were mortified to discover that Fletcher was not dead, but very much in the land of the living, and in the process of removing the pitchfork from the badly-crafted breastplate he had built while hiding in the mountain. He faced the army head-on, baying for blood like a hellhound. The ice beneath him melted as if touched by a flame, and he charged forth at the poor misguided peasants. The massacre had begun. Some were killed by the pitchfork wielded so effortlessly by the senseless man. Others were tossed off the side of the mountain by strong gusts of winds that Fletcher harnessed using his newly-found elemental abilities. Some were frozen to death, others burnt to a crisp. Just five minutes or so after its beginning, the 'fight' drew to a close, with all the participants bar Fletcher himself dead or on the run. Judging by a later estimate on the number of grieving families, and analysis carried out in graveyards and memorial sites, ninety bodies were strewn across the battlefield on that fateful day. Though later attempts of reprisal, with the mission to locate and destroy Fletcher Donalbain, were operated by the remnants of both the Donalbain and Falstaff clans, there have been very few verified encounters with him in over nine years. In his last ever diary entry, Fletcher confesses his horror at his crimes, and that he was planning to leave the mountains in a quest for retribution. There have, however, been many reported sightings of him in and around the Glacialis Mountains, and also in other areas of the land. He has been sighted meditating in a forest in the west of the land and sailing across a lake, among other places, though nobody knows for certain where he is. Travellers have sometimes reported meeting him on cross-country journeys, and being challenged to duels. Occasionally, large groups of bodies have been uncovered in mountains and different locations, with similar post-mortem conditions to the ones in the peasant massacre. These have been attributed to Fletcher, unsurprisingly. His name has passed into legend, and he is known as the 'High King Of Glacialis', after his seemingly permanent residence in the Glacialis Mountains. The blurry photograph visible at the top of the article is the only known surviving photograph of Fletcher, taken two years ago. It quickly dispelled any rumours that he was dead when it was found on a camera belonging to a nature photographer who was found, dead as a doornail, and lying face-down in a snow drift. There is no doubt in my mind that Fletcher Donalbain is still alive. I firmly believe that he is out there, biding his time until his eventual return, just waiting... Waiting... Waiting... Biography Parts 1 + 2 by Simon of Bainbridge, Former Amateur Historian (deceased) Biography, Part 3: Involvement With Aruchel Simon of Bainbridge's biography of Fletcher was published just one year ago, shortly before his untimely death, along with similar biographies for four other individuals now identified as members of a small rebel group known as Aruchel. Sightings of Fletcher have been increasingly frequent since the discovery of Aruchel, both with and without other members. He is thought to be a part-time member of the team, and has been seen at the site of many political attacks carried out by the group. His role within the group is currently unknown. He is now wanted in seven different provinces for crimes against the government. If caught, he and his allies could face the death penalty. His future remains in doubt. Profile Name: Fletcher Donalbain Height: 6'4 Age: 31 Occupation: '''Fugitive; member of Aruchel '''Species: Human Sex: Male Born: 21st December, Donalbain Castle Current Residence: '''Unknown, probably in the Glacialis Mountains '''Sexuality: '''Unknown '''IQ: '''Unknown, thought to be high Appearance Standing well over six feet tall, Fletcher is an imposing figure, something he can use to his advantage in creating intimidation towards others. He usually wears a dark blue armour, designed in a style that can be compared to the Japanese samurai warriors or the ancient Roman legionnaires, in the form of a kind of lamellar cuirass. Despite the heavy armour, he can still move freely. On his arms he bears a form of leather gauntlets, and he is clad in small boots on his feet. He is rarely seen with head protection or a shield. Fletcher has brown eyes, black hair and pale skin, features common to the northern people. Personality As Simon of Bainbridge famously wrote in his extensive biography of Fletcher's life, reports say that Fletcher was a timid, unassuming, good-natured child, though obviously this all changed after he murdered his parents. Reports state that travellers who have stumbled across him on treks have found him to be mostly pleasant, but at times irritable and easily startled, leading many to theorise that his experiences may have led to a development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He once worked alone, though not so much through choice as through necessity. He is now a member of Aruchel. He does not trust anyone, and is very protective of the Glacialis Mountains that were his territory for so long. In fact, he has been said to challenge travellers to duels merely because they set foot "where they didn't belong" on the peaks, leading to his eventual nickname, the High King of Glacialis. Weapons / Abilities Fletcher uses a long sword for fights. He wields it with extreme comfort and, judging by the number of corpses he's left behind him, a high level of skill. According to the travellers who actually accepted his invitation to duel, his fighting style primarily involves feints, parries and sudden lunges towards the opponent, all at an incredibly fast rate. He has also been known to use the environment to his advantage, leaping off rocks, hiding among bushes or scrambling up trees to have greater control of the element of surprise. More often than not, he does not actually kill the opponents, but rather disarms them and casts them away. According to the conciseness of his diary entries, and test results from his childhood, Fletcher is thought to be highly intelligent. He has certainly shown himself to be an excellent strategist. Even in his blood-lust state, he relies on guerrilla tactics to kill, never letting his 'prey' anticipate their fate. He has evaded capture for nearly eleven years in this manner. Fletcher has great speed, strength, and endurance, after training on mountain-tops and consistantly fighting others, both stronger and weaker than him. He can run great distances at remarkably fast speeds, lift boulders and trees, and has apparently survived being stabbed, with or without his armour, numerous times. Fletcher has several supernatural abilities. In his blood-lust state, he can control the elements of fire, ice and wind. The fire ability allows him to breathe fire like a dragon, and to shoot flames out of his hands. He can incinerate objects in seconds. The ice ability allows him to fire a fluid-like stream of ice from his mouth and hands, and to freeze objects (or people) solid. The wind ability allows him to control strong gusts of wind, create whirlwinds and tornadoes, and to manipulate the air around him. He can break chains and bonds with this power. He can also channel these powers into his sword, so with fire he can ignite his sword, with ice he can give it icy serrated edges, like a mace, and with wind he can perform longer, more swinging strikes. In terms of weaknesses, Fletcher's blood-lust can be characterised as a downfall as much as it is a success. Though he constantly attempts to control himself, so that he may refrain from the murders, deep down inside him there is a neverending urge to continue with the killings. When in the blood-lust state, Fletcher loses control of his senses, so fighters with greater skill (a minutely small number) may be able to take advantage of this. He also has been proven to suffer mildly when faced with dark magic. Music Themes '''Main Theme: Radiohead - How To Disappear Completely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAF8D0ugyVk Battle Theme (Normal Fight): Antonio Forcione - Tarentella http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEKh-kDI54 Battle Theme (Blood-Lust): Sabaton - Carolus Rex http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnAvNdVyJB0 Alternate Theme: Ben Howard - To Be Alone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW1E1ig19cs Trivia *Fletcher is loosely based on the tale of Samson from the Bible. **Both are very strong and powerful. **Both of them faced a seemingly insurmountable army, armed with a useless weapon (in Samson's case, a jawbone, in Fletcher's case, a pitchfork) yet still claimed victory. **Inspiration was also drawn from the ancient Greek tale of Heracles (or Hercules, as he is often known). Both Fletcher and Heracles murdered their own families (albeit in different circumstances). *His blood-lust is similar (though by no means identical) to the transformation in The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde. *Fletcher's backstory is crammed with references to classical mythology, and has more Shakespearian allusions than Mumford & Sons' first album. *Cernuunos and Dagodeiwos are both Celtic deities. **Cernuunos is an antler-headed nature god, often portrayed sitting among animals. He was worshipped in Britain, France, Germany and Belgium. **Dagodeiwos/Dagda/Dag Dia was an Irish god. He had a massive club which he could kill nine men with in just one swing. He also had a bottomless cauldron and a harp to control the seasons. **Similar deities were adored in Spain, Portugal and the best country in the world. *The Manic Street Preachers song that quote was taken from is actually about self harm. *The name 'Simon of Bainbridge' was inspired by the character Dixon Bainbridge from UK bizarre comedy show The Mighty Boosh. Category:Fan Made Character Category:Rejected Character